Pirates Do Chopping As Braves Fall, 5-1

October 10, 1991|By Brian Schmitz of The Sentinel Staff

PITTSBURGH — Attention, Atlanta Braves tomahawkers.

Remember that statistic to which you were clinging before the start of Wednesday night's National League Championship Series? The one that read: The Braves won nine of 12 regular-season games from Pittsburgh.

Well, the Pirates forgot all about it, easing to a 5-1 victory in Game 1 in front of an announced crowd of 57,347 at Three Rivers Stadium - the largest to witness a baseball game in the city. (The previous record was 54,274 on Opening Day on April 8.)

''It's a different season now,'' Pirates star Bobby Bonilla said.

Indeed. Pittsburgh starter Doug Drabek, the 1990 Cy Young Award recipient who was 1-2 against Atlanta this year, limited the Braves to three hits over six innings and struck out five. He left with a pulled hamstring, giving way to reliever Bob Walk.

Walk gave up one run over the next three innings - Dave Justice's solo homer in the ninth - and two hits. The Pirates' 1-0 lead in the series is the most important stat now.

Drabek left the game after straining his left hamstring while running the bases in the sixth inning. He had driven in Steve Buechele with a shot over center fielder Ron Gant's head to help himself to a 4-0 lead. He said he hurt himself rounding second before easily being thrown out at third on the relay.

Pittsburgh manager Jim Leyland said Drabek would not miss his next start. ''The trainer says it's something between a pull and a cramp,'' he said.

Drabek received support from Andy Van Slyke, who hit a solo homer and a double for two RBIs. Bonilla added a run-scoring single off Atlanta's 20-game winner, Tom Glavine. In taking the loss, Glavine struggled early and gave up four runs on six hits over six innings. He surrendered 13 first-inning runs in his last six regular-season starts.

In last year's NLCS against Cincinnati, the heart of Pittsburgh's order - Van Slyke (.208), Bonilla (.190) and Barry Bonds (.167) - were washouts. But again, the Pirates don't pay attention to the past. ''Last year we were trying to hit three-run homers with nobody on,'' Van Slyke said.

''Last year we were trying to do so much,'' Bonilla said. ''This year we're patient.''

Hoping to rebound, Atlanta sends Steve Avery (18-8) against former Brave Zane Smith (16-10) in Game 2 tonight. ''Our guys were not uptight; they were very loose,'' Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said. ''Somebody had to lose Game 1. We'll come back.''

It was a typical home outing for Drabek. He improved his record this year at Three Rivers Stadium to 10-3. He has yet to yield more than three runs at home in any of his 20 starts. ''The way Doug was pitching, it wouldn't have mattered if Ruth, Gehrig or Mantle were up there,'' Van Slyke said.

Glavine, who has struggled through the early innings as of late, was unsteady. Van Slyke worked him to a full count and then lined a home run over the right-field wall for a 1-0 first-inning lead.

The Pirates reached Glavine for two more in the third. Jay Bell singled and came home on Van Slyke's double. Bonilla then singled in Van Slyke, staking Drabek to a 3-0 lead.

Again, it could have been worse for Glavine. He walked Bonds but struck out Buechele and Slaught and fielded a comebacker to dispose of Jose Lind.

Drabek was not letting the Braves play, and neither was Pittsburgh's defense.

Atlanta had just one hit - former Pirate Sid Bream's single - when Mark Lemke reached on an error by first baseman Gary Redus in the fourth. With the ball bouncing around in the right-field corner, Lemke was speeding toward third. A relay from Bonilla to Bell to Buechele nailed Lemke at third. The old 9-6-3 if you're scoring at home.

Too bad for the Braves. Drabek next walked Terry Pendleton, and Pendleton moved to second on Justice's single. But Drabek retired Gant and Bream on fly balls, much to the frustration of the tomahawking state of Georgia.